Deal With The Devil
by Serys
Summary: Spending two nights in a haunted mansion by herself shouldn't be a problem, right? And fortunately for Yuffie, she doesn't believe in ghosts.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a short three chapter one shot. It just came to me one night, and I wanted to try it out. This is a Halloween-esque fic, and a total AU. There are not many vampire!Vincent fics out there, and I thought it would be fitting since the holiday is coming up. And what more fun way for Yuffie to be the naive silly girl in the story? **This will be rated M**. You've been warned. :)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first of three!_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII._**

* * *

><p><strong>Deal With The Devil<strong>

"You're crazy, Cloud."

Yuffie rolled her eyes at Cloud's serious expression. It was almost midnight and the town of Nibelheim seemed to fade into the distance as she looked out to the abandoned mansion before her. She had to admit that ever since she seen the place with her own eyes; tall, dark and broody looking, an uneasiness would settle in the pit of her stomach. With it's old gothic windows and the way the vines crawled and twisted up and around the building, it gave her the impression of a cage. The image of it seemed to draw the air from her lungs, leaving her dizzy and heavy on her feet.

Yuffie would never admit that the sight of the place made her nervous, not even to herself.

So for the past half hour, Yuffie waited for her friends, Cloud and Tifa, to show up at the front gates of the supposedly haunted mansion. It was two days before Halloween, and Cloud had conveniently came up with an elaborate ghost story about the abandon building, to which Yuffie passed off as completely false. Ghosts of lost souls? Supernatural beings of the night? How old did Cloud think she was, four?

It was so silly.

That was her notion until her eyes gazed over at Tifa's deep solemn expression.

Ghost stories didn't scare Yuffie in the least, but what did make her wary was the fact that Tifa seemed to be going along with Cloud's ridiculous plan. Tifa. The sensible and reliable one. Strong, calm and logical. So, was she also trying to trick her or did she actually believe in his fairytale?

"What do you think, Tifa?" Yuffie wanted to hear it from her own mouth that this whole thing was stupid.

Pretty features marred into a frown as Tifa pulled nervously at her long brown hair, her head twisting up to face the Shinra mansion.

It didn't take a psychic to know what she felt about it.

"I've heard a couple stories from my mother before she passed away," Tifa began, sadness flashed in her scarlet eyes for a brief second at the mention of her deceased parent. "Her and her friends used to walk by this place each day before and after school. They got a little courageous one night, and went inside. I'm not really sure what happened; she wouldn't tell me. But after that, she avoided the place, they all did."

There was a moment of silence between the three of them.

"The Shinra Mansion is not haunted, okay?" Yuffie seemed to be adamant with the fact and the more she thought about it, the more she believed herself to be right. They just wanted to scare her. "And if you think I'm going to believe that ghosts and vampires exist, you both are crazier than I think you are."

"Oh?" Cloud raised a blond brow. There was an unspoken challenge in his voice.

"Yes." Yuffie had heard it and replied with one of her own. This was typical between the two.

The older man eyed her for a moment, a smile spreading across his face. "If so, I dare you to spend one night in the Shinra Mansion." If Cloud knew Yuffie, and he knew her well, she would take this challenge with both hands.

"Cloud," Tifa warned.

"Oh, one night, so scary!" Yuffie mocked him with a cocky smirk. "Why not make it two?"

Tifa was shocked. "Yuffie!"

Cloud made a noise in the back of his throat, pursing his lips. He had to admit that the legend of the mansion and the time of the year did go very well together, and he wasn't surprised to find out that Yuffie didn't believe him in the slightest. But it didn't make what he said any less true.

Nibleheim was notorious for haunted buildings, and they grew up with the biggest one of them all. Ghosts of bitter souls wandered it's long dark hallways, wailing and moaning about their life's regrets as they lose more and more of their humanity each night. Glimpses of dark scarlet eyes that appear in every room, seemingly glaring and definitely angry. But in the basement lies 'the evil one'; a vampire locked in a deep sleep for eternity.

Thrill seekers, like Yuffie, have always dared to stand up against the rumors of the mansion, to prove them false, and to show others that they were above in believing the impossible. And every time, they would run out, screaming and swearing to never enter again.

Cloud held back a chuckle at the image of Yuffie running out of the mansion, crying and blubbering about how much he was right.

"If you can make it past the first night," Cloud said. He can already hear Yuffie's refusal to go back in the mansion. No one entered a second time. This bet was a sure win.

"Two nights." The demand was back in Yuffie's voice. "What's the wager?"

Cloud thought for a moment. Yuffie and Tifa waited patiently for him to answer. Finally, "If I win, you have to take both mine and Tifa's working shifts at Seventh Heaven for a week."

Yuffie breathed in, already not liking the bet. Tifa's father owned the local bar; Seventh Heaven where her, Tifa and Cloud worked. Nine times out of ten, the place was busier than shopping malls on Christmas eve. She really had to win if she was even thinking about making this bet with him.

_Come on, Yuffie. Ghosts aren't real, right?_

Yuffie slid her tongue along the back of her teeth in thought. She was starting to feel angry at her own need to mentally assure herself that she had nothing to worry about. "And if I win, you will give me your tips for two weeks."

Cloud gaped at her, finding her part in the bet really unfair. "Why two weeks?"

"Because I don't think it would be fair to take Tifa's as well. You're the butt-face in all of this."

He thought for a moment, his lips set in a straight line. "Fine."

"Fine."

"Two nights, Yuffie," Cloud reminded her.

Yuffie smirked, feeling like she already won. "Two nights, Cloud."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Deal With The Devil**_

It was the night before Halloween.

And it had been an hour since Yuffie arrived at the Shinra Mansion. Her legs hadn't moved, her fingers were still gripping the iron bars of the front gate. For the past twenty-four hours, all Yuffie could think about was spending her first night in this place, mentally gathering her nerve and trying not to make such a huge deal out of the rumors Cloud told her. And for a while, she succeeded in convincing herself that she had nothing to be afraid of.

But it wasn't until the moment that Yuffie's gray eyes gazed up at the mysterious mansion, that her courage had decided to take a vacation.

She clenched her teeth, mentally damning Cloud into oblivion. This was his stupid idea, and his stupid bet, so why was she the one spending the night here by herself?

"Oh, crap," Yuffie frowned, not believing how much of an idiot she can be, "and I'm the moron that said two nights! I haven't even step foot in the place and already I want to go home."

She was close following out her words, but unfortunately for Yuffie, she didn't like losing, nor did she back out of a bet that would benefit her greatly. Cloud was the best at his job, and got an insane amount of tips as a bartender, and for two weeks, they would all be hers.

Gathering an ounce of her courage, Yuffie stepped through the gate, her eyes never leaving the front door. The full moon glowed and she ignored the ominous feeling it gave her, ignored the howling of the wind as she grew closer to the door. When Yuffie fell under the shadow of the mansion, the wind suddenly died down to a gentle breeze, and in the midst of her paranoia, she suddenly got the feeling that something was inviting her inside.

Yuffie suppressed a chill and she mentally chastised herself for only wearing a sleeveless green top, forgetting the fact how much the temperature can drop during this time of year.

"Should I knock...?" she asked herself as she approached the first step, her gaze locked on the door before her, "well, it's not like anyone is going to answer, stupid. Let's just get this over with."

Yuffie gripped the knob, twisted and pushed.

And just like she expected, the door slowly creaked open, not at all surprised by the amount of darkness that greeted her. For a moment, she stood by the doorway, listening for the rumored ghostly noises or looking for that glimpse of red eyes in her peripheral vision.

Moments turned into minutes.

She heard nothing, nor did she see anything.

"Cloud's an asshole," Yuffie deadpanned, walking into what felt like a wide open space. The door behind her closed with a light snap, and Yuffie waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness around her.

She first noticed the odor. The place smelled like an attic, the air was old and stuffy, and she knew she was inhaling ancient dust. She also felt claustrophobic despite how big and open the place seemed to be. There was hardwood floor, but also carpet, or maybe it was a rug, she couldn't tell.

Yuffie lifted her eyes and immediately, she caught the sight of three long arched stained glass windows on what it seemed to be the second floor. The moon's dim light shined through, casting soft shadows along the half spiral staircase before her.

"Can anything be more creepy than this?"

Wishing for light, both her hands ran along the wall next to a closed door, blindly trying to find a switch. There was nothing, and adding to the fact that she knew she was getting dust and old paint chips all over her hands.

"Grossness!" Yuffie wiped her palms on the back of her yellow shorts, "I should have brought gloves. Who knows what kind of bugs are creeping in this place."

She finally found a switch and flicked it, not at all surprised to find that the electricity didn't work. Yuffie rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Should have figured, but it was worth a try."

Her legs traveled in a huge circle around the main room, deciding that now wasn't the best time to go exploring. There were at least a half dozen doors that lead to rooms, but Yuffie wasn't the least bit interested in finding out what was behind those walls.

She told herself it was because she didn't want to get lost. Yeah, she wasn't scared.

"So, what do I do?" Filling the silence with her chatter made it easier for Yuffie to keep her calm. "Sit here and wait for morning to come?"

"That was the idea, stupid," she to herself. Yuffie had to laugh, feeling embarrassed even though no one was around to witness her talk to herself. "It's been over an hour since I got here and already I'm answering my own questions."

Feeling a bit tired, Yuffie walked back to the front door and leaned against it, ignoring the popping noise it made. Cloud said that the place was haunted, but so far, she didn't experience anything out of the ordinary. The floorboards did creak and the walls did crack, but so did every other old building in the neighborhood. The place was just what she thought it was; an old creepy looking mansion. She had to admit that it served as a good ghost story, but she was convinced that the rumors were just that, rumors.

Yuffie sat down in front of the door, setting herself cross-legged on the floor. She stretched her neck and rubbed her eyes, listening to the ever growing silence of the mansion.

"Bored..."

It was the last thing she said before her eyes drifted close and she fell into a light sleep.

It may have been minutes, or perhaps it was even hours before Yuffie found herself awake. She raised her head and looked to the long arched windows and found that it was still night, the moon still glowed high in the dark sky, several hours far from morning.

Yuffie rubbed her eyes and stood up to stretch her limbs. If the night was going to continue out like this, winning this bet with Cloud was going to be easier than she expected.

No sooner than she thought those words, she heard it.

Her body stood completely still. A frown settled on her lips and she strained her ears to try to catch the sound a second time.

What she heard wasn't a howl, nor was it a groan, but light melodic piano notes. It was soft and it flowed flawlessly. It sounded so beautiful, perfect, but so very sad and she was impressed with the level of skill. Whoever was playing the notes was very familiar with the instrument.

Then, as if it was magic, something struck her. Yuffie knew that music could move the soul, but she didn't expect the feeling of intense heartbreak take a hold of her emotions.

Before she realized what she was doing, two trails of tears were running down her face, her chest squeezing painfully with each breath. She didn't know what was happening or why she was crying like this. It was like she was experiencing a lost of a first love; like fate had intervened and viciously rejected her of a promised happiness.

Yuffie swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped her eyes dry, unnerved that the melody could move her so powerfully.

She needed to focused on other important creepy matters.

Like finding out who or what was playing the music.

Clenching her jaw, Yuffie followed the sound that seemed to come from the room to the left of her. She stood facing the closed door, feeling the perspiration form on her brow. There wasn't any doubt that she was nervous, but she was also very curious. Yuffie didn't believe in things such as ghosts or beings of the dead.

So, why was she hesitating?

She shoved the childish thoughts out of her head, sure that it was Cloud's stupid story tainting her mind. Wiping her sweaty palms on the front of her shorts, Yuffie finally gathered enough courage to see what was behind the door.

She slowly pushed it open, ignoring the squeaking sound the rusted metal of the hinges made. Yuffie couldn't believe she was doing this. In those overrated horror movies, it was she who would constantly criticize the idiots and bimbos that took it upon themselves to 'investigate the noise'. They were usually the first ones that ended up dead in those films. Complete and utter fools. And now she felt like she was one of them.

Yuffie scanned the entire room with intense scrutiny, grateful for the twin windows that gave her just enough light to at least see the outline of everything. Finally, her gaze settled on with what looked like a busted grand piano against the wall on the left of her. One of it's legs was missing as it leaned awkwardly on the floor, the flow of time aging it's structure. As soon as her eyes settled on the dusty black and white keys, the music stopped.

There was no one there.

Yuffie bit the inside of her cheek, her lips pressing together in a firm line. "Okay, that was super weird." Scratch that, it was way beyond weird, it was freaking horrifying.

"Okay, okay. Maybe it was one of those pianos that plays by itself," she reasoned, trying not to panic. Yuffie nodded, convinced that was what it was. She didn't feel like freaking out now, she had rest of the night to get through. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Some pianos do that. Okay. Cool."

Despite talking herself out of a panic attack, Yuffie felt sick to her stomach. Her insides twisted into knots and she resisted the urge to vomit.

"Calm down, Yuffie," she chastised, breathing in deeply, "there's nothing to be scared of. Ghosts aren't real, it's just your imagination having a field day."

_Yuffie..._

She heard her name being called in the back of her mind in a voice that wasn't her own. A shudder ran through her body. Was she going insane? No. She wasn't crazy. It was stress. She blamed it all on stress and the fact that she was scared shit-less.

"This is so stupid."

_Yuffie... Yuffie._

Yuffie balled her hands into fists, feeling herself getting angry. It was just her imagination. Her silly, stupid imagination playing tricks on her.

_Yuffie, Yuffie, Yuffie!_

"What!" she finally bellowed out, continuously twisting her body around to look for the source of whatever it was that was speaking to her. Her eyes cut to the half spiral staircase and she glared. Like a woman possessed, Yuffie made a mad dash up the steps, and up the other set of stairs, the wood creaking loudly under the weight of her body as she did so.

_Is this how people go mad? Chasing after voices in inside their head?_

She stopped at the top, unsure of which direction to take. Left, or right?

_Yuffie..._

She felt a pull to her right, and she turned to race up another short flight of stairs, coming face to face with two more options to choose from. Yuffie sighed loudly, wondering how many rooms the mansion actually had.

She glanced to her left. A long hallway leading to closed door. For some reason, Yuffie felt nothing special in that direction.

And then to the right.

Her gut immediately knotted.

This was the way.

She _felt_ it.

Yuffie stared into the darkness of the room, half expecting something to pop out and drag her into the depths of the mansion, and her cries of help going unanswered as it echoed throughout old and decrepit building. Never to be seen again.

_Damn, Yuffie, get it together._

Shaking off the imagery, Yuffie entered the dark room, careful not to brush against the walls or step on anything on the floor. She couldn't see a thing, nor could she hear anything, and she grew more tense as the silence rang on.

She passed through a second doorway into what seemed like a bigger room than the first. Her eyes squinted in the darkness, immediately staring at the only door opposite of her.

Her breath immediately caught in her throat, all of her nervousness she tried to hold back came out in full force and attacked her senses. Yuffie knew it lead to the basement of the Shinra mansion. The door wasn't even opened, but she could see in her mind the steep spiral staircase leading to where 'the evil one' dwelled.

_Where the vampire sleeps..._

"There is no way in hell that I am opening _that_ up."

Yuffie quickly turned to leave, to go back to the entrance and wait for the rest of the night to pass. But as soon as her back faced to the basement door, it flew open with a sharp snap. A light breeze ruffled her short hair, casting goosebumps across her flesh.

Then there was movement, and Yuffie knew she wasn't the only one in the room anymore.

"Yuffie..."

The voice was soft, but rough. Dark and it held no warmth. Ice took hold of her body, her stomach seizing. She stood frozen, unmoving, like it's very voice commanded it to do so.

Yuffie closed her eyes tightly, her teeth clenching in fear. She was in a dark room, _alone_, with something not of this world. Oh, the scenarios her mind tormented her with.

She was close to hyperventilating.

"Will you not face me?"

Yuffie didn't dare turn around, afraid of what might greet her if she did. So she remained with her back turned. And terrified. So very terrified.

"Are you afraid?"

Again, she refused to answer, not wanting to give him the satisfaction that he scared her to death, or perhaps it was that he struck her speechless. There was a moment of silence before she heard whatever it was behind her give a sharp intake of breath, and then a sigh.

"I can smell your fear."

Her throat tightened at his statement, and it had her heart racing. That wasn't possible. No one can smell an emotion!

"You're full of shit." Did she just say that?

"So you are not afraid?"

"No." Lies, lies, lies. All lies.

She couldn't hear his footsteps, but she could feel him move closer to her. The muscles in her back tensed, as if she was ready for him to strike. Yuffie may have looked like the harmless young woman, but she wasn't useless when it came to defending herself.

"Do not lie. You wear it like a perfume."

As soon as those words were spoken, Yuffie felt his cold fingers glide along the back of her neck. In an instant, her body sprung into action and she quickly turned around, her right fist swinging out with deadly accuracy. She was shocked to find that her attack was only met with air.

She quickly looked around. She saw nothing.

Whatever it was, it had disappeared.

Not wasting any time, Yuffie darted out of the room and flew down both stair cases, the image of the front door like heaven in her eyes. She didn't care about the bet anymore. She would gladly spend months taking over Cloud and Tifa's shifts at the bar. Gladly admit that the stupid blond was right. She didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to get the hell out of there and never step foot in the creepy place again.

In her trembling fear, Yuffie's shaky hands grasped the door handle and pulled viciously.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. The damn thing wouldn't budge.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Yuffie pulled again and again only to find that the door was sealed shut.

"How in the hell!?" Yuffie wailed. She knew she didn't lock it herself, she knew no one else came inside and locked it, so how...?

Laughter boomed throughout the halls and it echoed. With her grip still on the knob, Yuffie slid against the door and crouched down, her face buried in the pit of her arm. She tried to lose herself in her hiding place, believing if she got close enough, she could merge her body with the door and away from the danger and her own possible death.

"I swear, if I die, I'm going to haunt the crap outta Cloud and Tifa," Yuffie muttered bitterly.

Seconds of silence passed. Then minutes, perhaps it was even hours before Yuffie's face dared a glance over her shoulder.

There was nothing.

Yuffie stood up, trying to calm her heart and stop the shaking in her legs. Was what she heard real? And did it, whatever it was, touch her?

_The fucking nerve!_

Then, in a matter of moments, something inside her just snapped.

"You think I'm afraid of you!?" Yuffie was screaming. She realized that her fear made her courageous, or maybe the thought of being sucked dry without giving a fight fueled her anger. Or perhaps she was damn well tired of being scared.

Silence was the only thing she could hear and with his absence, she found the courage to provoke him.

"Petrified of me, huh!?" Yuffie's trade mark smirk rested on her lips as she crossed her arms. She was surprised to find that her taunting calmed her down. "I can't blame you though, I am pretty damn tough. You're lucky that you dodged my punch, it would have blown your face right off."

Again, there was nothing in response to her words.

"As I expected," Yuffie stated, seeming to have gained her wits, "you do a shitty job as a vampire, you know. Aren't you like, suppose to suck my blood and whatnot? And here I am, alive to tell the tale and put an end to all of those silly little rumors about you."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Yuffie knew she was losing it. She was practically begging whatever the hell it was to show himself again.

"And pray tell, what are these silly little rumors?"

She heard his whisper. Felt his breath against her ear. He was behind her again.

Yuffie whirled around, her eyes glaring. She had a string of words forming on the tip of her tongue, but as she looked at his eyes, she lost all coherent thought.

His face. His skin. Lips and nose. So strong and elegant, straight and pale, but dark at the same time. His long unruly black hair stood in contrast to his skin. His red eyes glowed as if they held a power all on their own. She was struck with the beauty of it all. Everything she saw screamed perfection. So perfect, it was inhuman.

Inhuman. Vampire.

"So they are true," Yuffie had managed to say between breaths. She couldn't believe she had forgotten how to breathe.

There was a ghost of a smile on his lips as he came closer, but this time, Yuffie was relaxed, serene. Like she didn't have anything to be afraid of. Staring into his red orbs, she could feel a strong force pull her in, and found that with all of her strength, she couldn't break his stare. It was too beautiful. Too mesmerizing.

"Am I under a spell?" she had whispered. He raised his hand to her neck where two digits trailed along the skin and stopped just above her collarbone. Yuffie couldn't fight the shudder his touch invoked within her.

"What do you think?"

She was completely lost in whatever spell he had over her. But the most dangerous part of it all was that she didn't care.

"I can't move."

Strange how calm she was despite the fact that he practically held her life in the palm of his hand. And there was no sympathy in his eyes as he lowered his gaze to her lips.

"Usually I have to hunt for my prey. It is rare that they come to me willingly." There was no reaction from her, it was like he was speaking to her in a language different than her own. "And it is a shame," he continued, fingering a lock of her short dark hair. He pushed it behind her ear, admiring the smooth tan skin she was blessed with. "I haven't seen your kind of beauty in a very, very long time." His touch trailed along the line of her jaw, and he cupped her chin. Yuffie parted her lips in anticipation as he raised her face to meet his own.

"Are you afraid?" he asked again, eyes blazing.

"No." It was the truth.

He took a deep breath, and Yuffie knew he was smelling her again. There was a flash of recognition in his red eyes, and she couldn't stop the blood from rushing to her face. She was shamefully aroused by his touch and he knew it.

Then, without warning, he kissed her.

And everything in her body lit up and exploded.

The kiss wasn't anything she had ever experienced before. His mouth was hot as he lightly bit and pulled at her lips. She felt no pain, just exquisite pleasure. It was strangely exhilarating, and she was wondering why she felt so alive like this with him.

Somewhere in their moment, the slow turned urgent and the light kisses became hard. It was like a fire erupting into an inferno, and it left Yuffie's senses reeling.

Senses reeling from a simple kiss that drove her to wanting more. She tried to think, but the image of his eyes bore into her mind and all she could see was him, all she could taste was him. She felt him all around her, and she found it so very comforting.

Her body seemed to move without her knowledge as her arms circled his neck, her hands rising up to bury her fingers in his thick dark hair. He brought her closer, kissed her deeper, and she was once again lost.

Their kiss slowed, and then it lingered before they parted. Yuffie tried to clear her mind, to tell herself what she just did and what he was doing to her. But the damage was already done. Yuffie's vision blurred. Her eyes fluttered closed and her head lulled against his shoulder, exposing her neck in silent invitation.

He saw his opening and took it.

His mouth closed over the pulsing vein in her neck where he licked and kissed at her skin. And with his lengthened incisors, he took what she unintentionally offered. Hard.

There was a sense of hunger that laid dormant within him, but the moment her blood touched his throat, it came alive and demanded more. As he sucked, the girl in his arms flailed wildly, the grip on his hair tightened and she pulled viciously. The reaction was expected. She struggled against him. They all did. He was all too familiar with this dance.

But what he didn't expect from the girl was for her to bite him back.

Sharp pain erupted at his own neck and he quickly released her. He heard her cry out as he looked at her incredulously, startled to find that his own blood coated her lips as hers did his. It had been so long since he felt pain, so long that he was surprised to find that his body still held the capacity to do so.

Yuffie steeled her legs and stood panting from the loss of blood and the reality that she was practically banging on Death's door. Her hands were shaking, her heart pounding. Ice cold terror gripped at her chest, the memory of what just happened so fresh in her mind.

She immediately raise her hand to her neck to inspect the damage. There was tenderness where he bit her and she could feel two puncture wounds, and oh grossness! Was that him she was tasting? Yuffie freaked, spitting out his blood, her hands wiping her entire mouth dry.

"You were going to kill me!"

He ignored her outburst as he observed her intently. Her face was flushed, eyes dark, lips swollen. She was feisty and very stubborn. Definitely a fighter, he'll give her that. The erotic scent of her was still in the air. It was light, but there was no mistaking it. Scarlet eyes locked on the twin trails of blood seeping from her small neck wounds, and he greedily licked his lips, savoring the last drop of her human blood. He wanted more of her. So much more. His hunger demanded it.

"I am surprised you are still able to stand."

She couldn't, not really. It took all of her strength to face him. Her entire body was trembling and she felt so very weak. Yuffie glared the best she could, but he didn't look concerned. Just very intrigued and she wasn't sure what it meant, but it didn't matter. She wanted out of this place. Now.

"I want to go home."

He heard the words before she spoke them. Red eyes bore into her dark gray ones, his face holding an amused expression when he realized that she was trying to avoid his gaze. He knew she was weak, he could feel it with his own body, could hear the pulse of her heart as it strained under the loss of her precious blood. The life he took from her.

He silently moved out of the way, his hand gesturing to the door that lead to her freedom. "You are free to leave. It is of your own choosing that you continue to stay."

Yuffie's view of the door seemed something out of a dream. Hope swelled inside her chest, her throat dry as she swallowed. The words she heard seemed too good to be true. But he had sounded so sincere, did he really mean it?

Yuffie took one, then two steps before the dizziness swept over her. A light numbness traveled throughout her entire body and Yuffie felt the cold terror strike her once again as a new realization dawned on her: she didn't even have enough strength to escape from her own certain death.

Eyes fluttered closed and rolled to the back of her head, her mind screaming out as she did so.

She wasn't aware of falling into his arms as darkness overtook her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Deal With The Devil**_

_Throaty moans escaped her delicate pink lips as a tongue slowly ran up the length of her neck._

_Her eyes were closed, but she could somehow see the wicked smile on her lover's face, the dark intense stare of his ruby eyes. Breath mingled, hands gripped and teased. His kisses left bruises upon her skin, her fingers dug into the flesh of his back, his arms, his shoulders, their pain mixing in with pleasure. Both were lost in the making of their own personal paradise. It felt like heaven._

_Yuffie shuddered as a strong palm trailed along the skin of her small waist, then to her chest. She had given up resisting to the ministrations of his skilled hands long ago, and her naked body laid panting with need beneath his. _He was magic upon her body, as h_e seemed to know exactly where to touch her, how to tease her, the words to say that would leave her feeling breathless._

_He moved inside her with a deliberate slowness, enjoying the frustrated expression on her face. He knew it drove her crazy and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat when her legs wrapped around his waist. She wanted him deeper, faster, harder._

_When he restrained her, she let out a small groan of irritation. It was like music to his ears._

_"Vincent!" she cried when his hands gripped her hips and pressed himself deeper inside, stilling his movements. Yuffie's eyes flew open, breath caught in her throat in a silent gasp._

_"Vincent..." she pleaded with his name, but it went unanswered._

_Instead, he continued to take his time, wanting to savor the moments they still had together._

_"Look at me, Yuffie." His voice was deep, but gentle, a command filled with passion._

_Instantly, she was captured in his alluring gaze when she looked back at him. Entranced by the glow, and the dark elegant features of his face. His dominating presence lingered in the back of her mind, and Yuffie had the feeling that he held the power to look into her soul, twist it to his will, and take it for his own._

_She turned her head away from his eyes, her neck exposed for him to take his fill. His gaze trailed from the enticing sight of her lovely throat to the flushed skin of her pretty face. Vincent bared his fangs, seeming to know exactly what she wanted him to do. She would deny him nothing, and he knew it._

_Yuffie buried her hands into the long silky locks that was his hair, and gripped him tightly. Whatever he was doing, she didn't feel the pain she was expecting to experience. Just a light tugging and the erotic feel of his mouth on her._

_Like a beast being released from it's cage, Vincent snapped his hips forward and rocked mercilessly into her._

_Yuffie cried out, the powerful orgasm ripping through her body like a tidal wave._

* * *

><p>"Vincent!" Yuffie's eyes snapped open as her body played out the rest of her dream. Blood rushed to her face at the realization, her hands grasping at the bed sheets beneath her sweaty limbs. She took deep breaths, instantly recognizing the cream colored walls that surrounded where she slept.<p>

Yuffie laid in bed, wide gray eyes staring up at the ceiling of her apartment.

"Just... just a dream." Both relief and disappointment swelled inside her chest, her head fuzzy and aching. Eyes squinted, dazed with sleep and from the intensity of her orgasm. The room was bright, and blinding sunlight leaked through the curtains, telling her that it was past morning.

Glancing at the clock on her nightstand, two-forty-seven glared back at her in dark red colors. Way past the time she usually got up. Why had she slept for so long?

Yuffie turned over, burying her head into the pillow, trying not to pay any mind as to why her whole body ached. Must have slept wrong or something, she thought, her thighs throbbing. Or did a thousand squats before she went to bed.

A long hot shower was definitely in order.

Yuffie reluctantly got up, blindly dragging her feet to the connecting bathroom. She avoided looking at the mirror above the sink. If what she felt was any indication of how she looked, she didn't need to see the proof. She knew she was a mess.

As soon as the hot water hit her body, the tension melted away. But it did nothing to help ease the stress on her mind. Images of red eyes flashed in her memory, pale skin like ivory under long dark midnight hair. She couldn't believe she dreamed about someone in _that_ way. Despite the hot shower, a chill ran across her skin. And what disturbed her the most was that it had felt so real.

_Was his name Vincent?_

She remembered saying that name when she woke from her... dream. But it was still just a guess.

Yuffie quickly continued her shower duties, lost inside her head. She stepped out from the water and dried herself off with a towel, wrapping it around her small body. When she pushed the cabinet mirror shut and looked back at her reflection, all thoughts halted in complete and utter shock.

"Holy... holy crap!" Yuffie screeched, eyes wide.

Two puncture wounds on her throat stood out against the flesh of her neck like a punch in the face. Yuffie raised a delicate finger to the bruises and found that it was tender to the touch, and it looked fresh.

"Was it real?" Yuffie whispered, her eyes disbelieving. "How, how, how?" She had to still be sleeping. None of this could be happening. The erotic dream she could have played off as her overactive imagination telling her that it's been too long, but the bite marks on her neck wasn't something that she had an explanation for.

_He was real?_

From her nightstand, she heard her phone vibrate.

With shaky hands, Yuffie picked up the cell and scanned the many missed phone calls and text messages. All from the same person. The girl tried to keep her calm as she checked the last message Tifa had sent her.

**I'm coming over.**

"Shit!"

Yuffie raced back to the bathroom, quickly looking for any kind of make-up that could hide her problem. She let out a loud groan of frustration when all she could find was strawberry flavored chap stick and a short eyeliner pencil.

"Damn my non-girlish ways!"

Looking back in the mirror, Yuffie vehemently tried to pull her wet hair down long enough to cover her neck, but finding that even the longest locks did nothing to hide the marks. Yuffie loved her hair, but now she was second guessing the pros of it's shortness, and she silently cursed herself for not deciding to grow it out just once.

_Tifa is going to freak if she sees this!_

Rushing to her closet, Yuffie frantically rummaged through the bright articles of clothing she owned. She caught sight of a purple scarf, but immediately threw that thought away. It would have been too obvious, even for her. Finally, her eyes landed on a sleeveless forest green top, and Yuffie was thankful that she at least owned one piece of clothing that had a turtleneck.

As soon as she slipped some clothes on, making sure that the shirt covered the creepy teeth marks, there was a loud knock at the door. The girl let out a huge sigh, and gathered her wits. Yuffie knew who was behind the door, and mentally prepared herself for the onslaught that was the mother hen.

Tifa stood there, her fist poised for another knock. Her face was etched with worry, which wasn't all that surprising considering it was Yuffie that she was worried about. "You didn't answer any of my calls or messages!"

_Hi to you, too._

"No, but I did see how many times you did call," Yuffie deadpanned, crossing her arms. "Seventeen times, Tifa? What's the matter with you?"

"Well, I was worried..."

"And I was sleeping." At least she wasn't lying. "I just got up."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"So... Tifa eyed the girl before her as she stood awkwardly in the foyer. "Did you did go out last night?"

"Of course." Yuffie waved her hand dismissively. She sounded a little too casual, even for her.

"Did..." concern made it's way into Tifa's voice, and Yuffie couldn't shake the feeling that she knew what she was going to say before she even said it, "did anything happen?"

Her first instinct was to lie, but the look on Tifa's face had her hesitating. Out of shame, Yuffie looked away from her, mouth shut and lips tight, as if she was afraid to blurt out some sort of secret that she promised to keep.

Tifa was instantly alarmed. "Yuffie, what happened?"

_Oh, I met a vampire last night and he bit me. Not to mention that I think he is drop dead gorgeous and already I am having some erotic dreams about him, but whatever, how about getting some lunch?_

Tifa would have never believed the story, but Yuffie wasn't about to show her the proof. She hated lying, especially to her best friend, who was practically like a sister.

Instead, the younger woman feigned a sigh, her shoulders shrugging. "Nothing happened, and it's so freaking disappointing. I expected to see a ghost, or hear some damn noises, but nothing. Tell Cloud he is a jerk for getting my hopes up."

Tifa was confused. She was sure that Yuffie looked a bit frightened just now.

"Are you sick?"

Yuffie shook her head, her gut already twisting with guilt. "No. I'm just... tired."

"I'm telling Cloud that this damn bet is off. You're not going back there." Something was nagging at Tifa. She knew Yuffie was lying. Having known the girl for so long, Tifa could spot the subtle hints in her demeanor whenever Yuffie wasn't exactly being truthful.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and suppressed a sigh. She expected the older woman to react like this. "I didn't spend a night in a nasty dank piece of crap for nothing."

"What happened?" she asked again.

"You don't quit, do you?" Yuffie knew Tifa was just being a friend, but it still pissed her off whenever she pushed. "I said nothing happened! Now just freaking drop it!"

Tifa let out an exasperated sigh as if she was dealing with an annoying younger sibling. This was Yuffie though. It was expected. She knew that this was all that she was going to get out of her. "Well, if you ever want to talk about it..."

"Yeah."

Yuffie was grateful when Tifa decided to change the subject. "Cloud and I are thinking about going to the new restaurant that just opened up downtown," she said, giving the other girl a small smile, "do you want to come with us?"

"Spending a night as a third wheel? No thanks."

"You know it's not like that..."

"Maybe it isn't, but that's how I see it."

Tifa blushed. "We are just friends."

Yuffie laughed. She heard that statement from Tifa at least a million times before. People often assume her and Cloud were a couple, so close, so compatible with each other, and if Yuffie wasn't such a close friend to them both, she would have been thinking the same thing.

"You both are very stubborn."

"I don't know what you mean."

"And it's cute when you try to play dumb about it," Yuffie teased, laughing at the darker shade of red that was painted on Tifa's face. "Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty tired."

"It's the afternoon and you just got up," Tifa pointed out. "What do you have planned?"

Yuffie avoided her gaze, looking at anywhere but her face.

Tifa narrowed her eyes, her lips thinned. She knew exactly what Yuffie was thinking. "Why are you going back there?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Look who is playing dumb now."

Yuffie didn't hide the grimace on her face. She couldn't explain it, but she felt a pull from inside herself. She saw him whenever she closed her eyes, heard his voice in the back of her mind. Parts of her skin still burned and tingled where he had touched her in the dream. It was like her soul was aching for him again and she didn't know why.

All her life she thought that creatures like ghosts and vampires were myths, legends... fairy tales told by other people for entertainment. She would have never believed that she could actually stumble upon one of them, experience it and then leave in the wake of the memory.

How do you move on from something like that? Especially since the image of him was still fresh in her mind. Her feelings were still so raw. She knew that if she closed her eyes and dreamed, she would dream of him. She wasn't comforted nor was she afraid of that fact. But it made her heart pound, her palms sweaty, her body nervous like some horny teenager going on their first date.

And she wasn't sure if she wanted to meet him again. The thought of him being a vampire... a creature of the dead scared her to the core. Perhaps Tifa was right. She could stay in her bed all night, safe and away from the magnetic pull that he seemed to have over her. With time, she could forget him, maybe even convince herself that it was just a silly dream brought on by the musings of Cloud.

But then why did her heart thud painfully at the thought of never seeing him again? Why did she even want to anyway?

"Cloud and I went to the Shinra Mansion this morning when you didn't answer any of my calls," Tifa stated, looking at bit embarrassed.

"What?"

"We tried getting in, but the door was locked. We had even thought that maybe you were trapped inside somewhere."

Yuffie became uneasy and she frowned. The door had been locked when she tried to run out, the scene playing again in her mind. So crazed with fear and terror, she could practically see her own face when she realized that the door wouldn't open.

Then she saw him... and then... the kiss. Yuffie felt her face heat up as the memory came back to her. Then he bit her. She bit him. There was blood. Hers and his... and... she fell. Or fainted. She couldn't really remember what happened after that.

In the midst of her mind's ramblings, a sudden scary thought struck her, and it drained the last bit of color from her face. How did she manage to walk the few miles back home if she was unconscious?

_How did I wake up in my bed? Did he bring me here? How does he know where I live? Oh fuck, he knows where I live!_

Panic gripped at her chest, and Yuffie wheezed. What if he was watching her now? Hiding in the shadows of her apartment, waiting to catch her alone? Some part of her mind told her that Tifa was still there with that ever growing concern in her eyes. She pushed down the fear and played her terror off with a cough, hoping to convince Tifa that she was sick.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just not feeling well right now," Yuffie's voice was shaky, tense, scared.

"Maybe you should go back to bed; you don't look so good." Tifa observed the scary shade of white on her friend's face. What had suddenly gotten into her? "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"No, no. That's alright." Yuffie gave her a smile, but it didn't exactly reach her eyes. She always hated it when Tifa fussed over her like this. "I'll be okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

As soon as Tifa left, with the promise of coming back after dinner with Cloud, Yuffie wasted no time. She ran to her closet, slipping on her favorite pair of yellow shoes, and a light brown jacket. She felt strangely liberated when Tifa left, knowing that if the other woman stayed, she would have drove her crazy with her constant prying questions. Yuffie loved her to death, but dammit, Tifa could be freaking annoying sometimes.

As Yuffie exited through the door, she wasn't exactly sure where she was headed. But she knew one thing:

There was no way in hell that she was going to spend a night alone in her apartment.

* * *

><p>It seemed she had been walking for hours, circling the town square's well at least a dozen times over. The sun was just starting to descend behind the mountains, casting yellow, orange, red hues over Nibelheim. She loved this time of year: the chilly air, the falling of different colored leaves, Halloween, pumpkin carvings, the coming of winter. There were many reasons why she loved October.<p>

Yuffie passed by early trick-or-treaters, amused by their extravagant costumes and outlandish make-up. A huge part of her was honestly jealous of them. To laugh and play without a care in the world. She was selfish, she knew, wishing that she could dump all her troubles on someone else and leave them to take care of it.

As Yuffie raised a hand to press two fingers against her neck, she was reminded of the severity of her problem. What had he done to her? How could she have let him do it? Did he change her into what he was? Yuffie swallowed thickly, the possibility making her stomach flip uncomfortably. She didn't exactly feel any different than before... other than the fact that she was just really sore. The ache was everywhere. And the pull from inside herself was even stronger now.

When she looked up, she was greeted with the many windows of the Shinra Mansion. Yuffie wasn't at all surprised when she found herself back at the front gates that circled the mansion. It was like the very place called to her soul, and pulled her to it when she refused to answer.

She pushed the gate open and walked to the front door, getting a strong sense of déjà vu. Her view of the mansion had changed, Yuffie realized, it didn't seem as scary as last night. Perhaps it was because she knew exactly what lived behind those walls. She saw what lurked inside, and experienced the fear behind it. And now, the mystery was gone from the place, leaving her to see it without the allure, without the defense from those who wish to seek and know it's deepest secret.

Her gaze lowered to the handle, Tifa's voice ringing in her mind.

_She said the door was locked..._

Yuffie placed her hand on the knob, twisting until she heard the familiar click. She gave it a light push and it came open without a sound.

It wasn't locked at all.

_Is he doing this? Does he want me to come in?_

The thought both thrilled and scared her. There was no denying that she wanted to see him again, that much she was sure of. But what made her nervous was what would happen once they were face to face. Around him, Yuffie wasn't exactly in control of her emotions nor her body. They seem to play along to what he wanted, at least that was what she told herself.

As Yuffie cautiously walked in, her nose immediately wrinkled in offense. There was the same old smell, the many layers of dust, the creepy foreboding feeling. It had all of that. Nothing was changed, and Yuffie wondered why she expected it to. It wasn't like people were constantly walking in and out of the place, she mused, not exactly the perfect spot for a hangout.

And like an invisible force pulling at her body, she was guided up the spiral staircase, twisting and turning until she was in the room where she first met him. Yuffie stared at the door to the basement like she was trying to decipher it's meaning. She never stepped a foot behind it, and yet, she knew exactly where it led to. Why was that? she briefly questioned, then dismissed it all together. It probably wasn't important enough to dwell on anyway.

Silently, she crossed the room to the door, gripping the handle. It was cold to the touch and Yuffie stood frozen in her place. Did she really want to do this? Stupidly place herself back under his gaze, his charms, where he seemed to have all the power and control? She could still forget this place, leave it behind and move on with her life. She still had that chance to change her mind, turn around and go back. But as soon as those thoughts came to her, they disappeared, along with her hesitation. It all seemed to vanish, and she felt something desperately reach for her, grab tightly and then pull.

Down the basement steps she went, the old wood cracking underneath her weight. Both hands trailed along the stone wall beside herself to keep from falling. A long corridor greeted her at the bottom. There weren't many places she could search. There was a huge library at the end of the hallway from where she saw, no doubt cases filled with old books and other boring reading paraphernalia. The Mansion's library, she thought, why was in it the basement? It seemed to be a strange place to put one.

But she wasn't interested in the books, no, Yuffie was immediately drawn to the door left of her. It wasn't like any other in the mansion, and it blended perfectly with the wall. So finely, that Yuffie had almost doubted that it was even there.

Yuffie approached it, or maybe she was pulled to it, by this point, she couldn't tell anymore.

_Behind this... I know he is here._

Yuffie slid her palms against the cool rock, daring herself to push it open. And when she did, she knew she had done something terrible.

Something in the air shifted and changed. The atmosphere didn't seem so heavy and stale. Her surroundings were brighter, more colorful. Everything felt so much more lighter and welcoming. But she had little time to question the changes and what it meant for she felt a pair of eyes on her. Dark ruby ones.

And then there he was, standing in the middle of the room as if he was expecting her.

Yuffie met his stare, her gut instantly twisting into nervous knots. Before, she seemed have been walking in a trance, unknowingly making her way toward him. But now, standing here with him again, every emotion inside her seem to swell and clash against each other viciously. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she was way past the point of no return.

His face was unreadable, eyes hard. They were always hard, she realized, as if he was constantly deciding the fate of the world he lived in.

Yuffie saw his gaze lower to her neck, and she subconsciously fingered her throat, knowing his mark laid there against her skin.

"Vincent?" She wasn't sure if that was his name or if it was what her mind called him in her dream. She couldn't remember him ever telling her.

"Yuffie." He walked, or maybe he glided toward her. With the lack of noise he made, she couldn't tell.

Yuffie backed up until she found herself against the rock wall behind her. She pushed a hand against his chest when she felt that he was coming a bit too close to her. A small part of her mind was trying to grasp the fact that she was touching him again, and how unbelievably hard his body was beneath her palm. He was so distracting, and he had only said her name. And why did he have to stare at her like that?

What he wore was more of a mystery. There was black leather, and belts. So many belts running across his chest. And a cloak. Deep red, scarlet, and it covered most of his body. Under any other circumstance, Yuffie would have brushed him off as some sort of weirdo. But his eyes. They looked at her with such intensity that Yuffie was enamored the moment she looked back at them.

Vincent pressed his gloved hands against the wall, on both sides of her. Her stomach tightened, heart flopped and her body tensed. Despite her defenses, she felt the thrill of being trapped in his dark cage. Yuffie slid her tongue along her lips in anticipation, unintentionally bringing his attention to them.

For the second time, she was caught off guard with his kiss.

Buried deep down, Yuffie knew that this was what she secretly wanted the moment she woke up. Her soul seemed to sing when she was in his arms. Her body came alive and danced under his to a tune that only they knew. Yuffie was sure that he had some kind of magic at play here. She had been kissed before, many times in fact, but it was nothing like this. Never like this. How he managed to literally make her dizzy by just being near him was something that she couldn't quite understand.

Just as quickly as he kissed her, he pulled away, leaving her strangely empty.

"Why are you here?" She didn't expect this question from him.

"You... you did something to me," Yuffie blurted, feeling her entire body heat up at the close proximity of his face. She tried to push her feelings down, keep them in check. She didn't want to be so obvious around him, but that kiss... she could still feel him on her lips. "Whatever it is, whatever magic you cast on me, take it off! I don't want to think about you. I don't want to hear you, see you. Make me forget you."

He said nothing for a long while, and Yuffie felt herself drowning in his silence. It was maddening.

"And I don't want to dream about you," she finally said, knowing her face was inventing a new shade of red.

"You believe it to be a dream?" Vincent was amused, leaning away from her. "Or was it a memory?"

"It..." Yuffie sounded confused. Things with him were so weird, confusing, she wasn't sure what was real or what was a dream. The line between the two were starting to thin and fade in her eyes. "It was... wasn't it?"

"Look at me, Yuffie."

And she did, shock and disbelieving coloring her face. A chill slid along her skin, brought on by the memory of the dream. He had said those same words to her, his eyes staring just as hard, just as dark.

The realization smothered her, and she couldn't breathe.

With as much force as she could muster, Yuffie shoved him away from her, and took off back up the basement steps.

Her stomach recoiled at her thoughts. So sick, she felt. How could she let something like that happen? To lay with someone, _something_, like him, a vampire? He had to be playing with her mind, she couldn't have been that stupid, so utterly desperate, could she?

So used to the darkness of the mansion, Yuffie was suddenly blinded by light, engulfed in it's brightness. It took her a few moments to understand that it was coming from the chandelier that hung from the ceiling above her. Light coated every part of the mansion, and Yuffie was left breathless at the change of the mansion.

Plush carpet, so bright, vibrant, it looked brand new. And the hardwood floors. Shiny, pristine, she could practically see her reflection staring back at her. The walls that were once covered with peeling paint chips and old broken faded pictures were replaced with fresh warm wallpaper and antique oil paintings.

The furniture, the chandelier, the busted piano now laid in new and working order. So perfect. So beautiful. It was like the mansion was brought back in time, brought back to life.

But what one saw beautiful, Yuffie saw freighting.

She covered her mouth to stifle the scream as she ran to the front door. She didn't want to stay and think about what it all meant.

This time, it wasn't locked and she yanked it open.

If Yuffie had time to prepare herself for what she saw, it would have taken her a lifetime to understand it.

She expected to see the Nibelheim's dark cloudy sky, the different colored leaves rustling past her in gusts of chilly breezes. The withering of trees as they started it's slumber through the winter months. She wanted to smell the fresh air, feel the shining sun, see the cold October sky.

What she saw was nothing like that.

The sky was dark, gray, and not a cloud in sight. The air was still, heavy and stale. There were no leaves, and dead black trees. Rot and decay, not a sign of life anywhere. This wasn't the Nibelheim that she was used to.

"Back behind the door if you wish for protection from those outside." Vincent's warning came from behind.

Yuffie turned to face him. "What?"

"Especially the Chaos demon, I hear he doesn't like humans all that much."

"Demons?" Her mind was whirling. "You mean there are others like you?" Yuffie was on the brink of hysteria. This was too much to take in. First vampires, and now demons? It was like she stepped into some creepy demented dream that she couldn't escape from. What else existed in this messed up world? Witches? Werewolves? Goblins? She was afraid to ask.

"My kind is a dying race." Vincent approached her cautiously, his eyes to the sky for any sign of danger he was so familiar with. "Immortality is desired among humans, but until you actually experience the never ending part of it, you wish for death to come and take you."

Yuffie found herself asking a question she didn't exactly want the answer for. "How... how old are you?"

"I cannot say. When you have lived for as long as I have, the days seem to mesh together into one big nightmare you can't wake up from."

So lost. Yuffie felt like crying. "I'm not going to live in your nightmare."

"You can run, hide, move to a different town, city, country..." Then he looked at her, not at all surprised to find that her face was already laced with silent tears. It almost broke his heart. Almost.

_It will not matter. You will always find your way back here, back to me._

Yuffie covered her ears, the anger finally rising, painting a scowl on her face. "Don't talk to me like that!" she yelled, unnerved that he had the power to speak to her mind. What else was he capable of?

_How can this happen?_

He seemed to read her thoughts as he answered. "You bound yourself to me, and I to you, when I took you last night."_  
><em>

In the midst of her anger, Yuffie couldn't fight the blush at his lack of subtleness. She heard the truth in his words. Had felt the pull, so undeniably strong and so hard to ignore that she subconsciously threw herself into his arms before she even knew what was happening. And now, he had her where he wanted her. Trapped. Here. With him.

She instantly thought of her friends; Tifa and Cloud. What would they think? Would they come looking for her here? Would they even try? Or would they believe she just up and went, and move on with their lives? Will she ever get to see them again?

Tifa. She had warned her, told her not to go back. But now, Yuffie was thinking that maybe she didn't even have a choice in the matter. She felt like a puppet with Vincent pulling her strings, like a slave to the master.

"You're not going to let me go?" The question was useless to ask because she already knew the answer.

_You're mine, dear Yuffie. Mind, body and soul. With time, you'll learn to accept it. Perhaps even embrace it._

To hear things with such finality in his voice. It was like he had already decided her fate for her. Yuffie choked back a sob that desperately clawed it's way past her throat. It would have done her nothing for him to see her cry. "You're a monster!"

Brought in by the reality of her words, his face remained impassive, empty. He heard them many times before. "I know."

Vincent saw her heart crush, and briefly wondered what it felt like. He wasn't impervious to such emotions, he knew, but it had been so long since he felt anything other than anger and regret. But this girl, Yuffie, he needed her, wanted her more than his own salvation, and he knew she was the one for him.

He turned to leave her there to wallow in her misery. His steps never faltering when he heard her wail of anger, screaming and cursing his name. She was passionate, stubborn, so full of life. Her hate for him was strong as it was expected. He stole the whole world from her, and if given another chance, he knew had the heart to do it again, and again.

Behind the cloak, Vincent hid his smile from the world. Monster indeed.

Perhaps eternity with her will be more fun than he first thought.

**End**

* * *

><p><em>I'm thinking about continuing this piece... in another story, of course. Unfortunately, I fear that I'm terrible when it comes to chapter stories and staying motivated about it... but dammit, I'm going to try for this one! And I'm not going to post it until I have pretty much every chapter complete. It's more for your sake, really.<em>_ I mean, don't you just hate stories left unfinished?__ I know I do. So sit tight, thank you for reading, and happy Halloween! _**  
><strong>


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